The Deconstruction of Rick
by Lyoko498
Summary: The Doctor confronts an old companion and a battle of wills and philosophy ensue. R&R
Rick and Morty-Doctor Who

The Deconstruction of Rick

(A/N: Getting this out of the way right now: I really freaking love Rick and Morty. I'll elaborate more at the end of the story. Hope you enjoy it. Take Care. Lyoko498)

Morty opened the door slightly, seeing a tall man with curly grey hair and incredibly big eyebrows, wearing with a Crombie jacket, white shirt, and black pants. "Excuse me young man," he asked in a heavy Scottish accent, "But is your grandfather home?" Morty looked back into the house.

"Uh well R-Rick is in his garage, doing some sort of experiment and he doesn't like it when people bug him, so maybe some other time?" Morty began to close the door, only for the man to keep it open with his foot. "L-look, Rick is busy so you can just, just leave!"

The man pushed the door open with surprising strength and stepped in, attracting the attention of the rest of the Smith family. Jerry stormed in and demanded, "Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" The man sent a glare at him, causing him to back up a step.

"I'm here to talk to Rick," demanded the man. Beth walked up to the man, leaning in closer to get a good look at him. Her face quickly became one of shock as she recognized the man.

"You're…you're the Doctor..."

The Doctor gave a quick look over, his face softening. "Yes I am Beth. And now that I'm here I'd like to say...I'm sorry."

Jerry walked up asking, "Uh Beth, you know him?"

"He's the man who...who took Dad away…he looks different now but it's him"

The Doctor frowned slightly, "If I had known he had a daughter, I wouldn't have taken him for as long as I did." The Doctor then pulled out a weird sort of rod from his pocket, clicking a button on it, making a whirring sound. He continued, "I'm sorry about that. But I have to talk to him about something I noticed. I don't think I'll have to take him...but if I do it won't be as long as the last time."

Summer asked, "What are you talking about?" She pointed at the rod asking, "And what's that?"

"This is my sonic screwdriver, if Morty is telling the truth about Rick experimenting then I should detect it with this. And to answer your other question, I've notice Rick doing some less than favorable things across the Cosmos. Don't want to get into them right now. It's between me and him." The sonic screwdriver clicked. "Uh huh. Garage, like you said." Before any of the Smiths could retaliate the Doctor made his way to the garage.

Rick opened his eyes, his head stinging dully from all the booze. Without turning around he could sense someone behind him. "So wh-what do I *uhp* owe the "honor" of your presence Doc?"

The Doctor grabbed Rick by the shoulders and tore him from his desk and bits of gadgetry. The Doctor looked at Rick, the latter's eyes dulled from years of abusing alcohol and every alien drug imaginable. "We need to talk Rick."

Rick wobbled a little but was standing. He took a swig from his flask asking, "So what? Is this like, an intervention or something? I've be *urp* en to more than my share of these you know."

"16 quintillion worlds simultaneously assaulted with a weapon stronger than 20 hydrogen bombs Rick!" the Doctor snapped, all his fury heard in a hushed tone of voice. Rick rolled his eyes, about to take another sip from his flask. The Doctor swiped it from his hands and tossed it across the garbage.

"Hey I was drinking that!"

"I don't think you're listening Rick. For a man who claims to be the smartest being in the Universe seem like you don't know what you've done."

Rick took sip from a second flask he pulled out of nowhere, answering, "So a few quintillion worlds are nuked. Big *urp*-ing whoop. Shit like that happens every day in the Universe. Besides, are you one to talk? Y-you're name is associated with the destruction of worlds! And you wiped your entire race out of existence with the ultimate weapon ever created."

The Doctor turned to the shelf behind him, looking through the box that read "Time Travel Stuff", grabbing a cylindrical device. "Quantum entanglement module? Last time I saw one of these it nearly destroyed the 45th Human Empire. General Star-Spawn tried to awaken Azathoth."

"Oh what d-did they replace those shit-heads in the Galactic Federation? Probably should've been wiped out." Rick quipped as he took another sip. The Doctor looked up and shot another glare at Rick. "L-look Doc, I'm not interested in being lectured about what I do. I fight those assholes for freedom."

"Don't give me that." snapped the Doctor using his sonic screwdriver to render the module useless, dropping it on the floor. "I'm not fond of them either but I don't drag countless innocent lives into the fray. And from what I've come to understand freedom has nothing to do with it. You just hate following rules."

"Aw c'mon Doc," Rick replied, chuckling slightly, wrapping an arm around the Time Lord's shoulder, "Isn't that why you left Gallifrey in the first place. Y-you know we're not that different. We both don't like rules, travel the Universe wi-with our companions, fighting against the corrupt bastards we hate..."

"Yes, if you look at broad strokes we're very much alike." replied the Doctor as he brushed away Rick's arm, "Big difference between us though." The Doctor responded, walking towards Rick, snatching the portal gun from his pocket and holding it to show Rick his own creation, "I show them the wonder of the Universe. I show them that life is worth living, and I show them why they matter, why humanity matters." The Doctor snapped his fingers and the TARDIS hummed into existence. He glanced down at the portal gun, twisted a knob and clicked a button and fired it at the floor between him and Rick, causing the latter to step back.

Within the tear in space-time a horrid beast could be seen, writhing with millions of tentacles and countless mouths. Within its grasps where the bodies of millions of beings. In the distance, a spacecraft could be seen. The pilot was a Rick, taking diligent notes.

"This is what you show them, your grandchildren. All you show is the worst of the Universes. You tell them that they're worth nothing. You act as though life, your grandchildren, you daughter, and even your own life is meaningless…"

Rick cut the Doctor off, "Uh, maybe because it is! There's literally i- *urp*nfinite numbers of timelines and Universes Doc! You like to act like you're so high and mighty, well for every time you've beaten the Daleks or Cybermen th-there's a timeline where you didn't and they rule the Universe! So yeah, what's a-a few quintillion worlds in an infinite number of those same quintillion worlds!"

"All the lives on those worlds screamed and were silenced Rick!" The Doctor replied, "How can you be this callous? What happened to the scientist I took with me all those years ago, to see the wonders of the Universe first hand?"

Rick turned from his desk towards the Doctor, "What happened to the Doc who had a clue how the Universe ran? The one who took the situation by the balls and wasn't afraid to twist them?" The Time Lord knew who Rick was talking about. A man with receding brown hair, a sweater of question marks, and an umbrella to match. A charming buffoon with the hat and a fondness to play the spoons. He was also a cunning manipulator who betrayed the trust of a loyal companion and friend.

The Doctor made his hand glow for a second saying, "He regenerated." He quickly absorbed the regeneration energy to avoid losing it, "And became better men." Ricked rolled his eyes, taking yet another swig from his flask.

"Yeah, like the man who destroyed his own planet." Rick retorted, picking up a machine from his desk, twisting it with his screwdriver. "And I don't know about you, but M-Morty seems to not be upset about his meaninglessness. He told me he convinced Summer not to run away from home after learning everyone's life would be better without her, because nothing matters, she's one of in-infinites Summers, and that he got that."

The Doctor nodded, "Alright I can't deny that's good. But do you know what would be better? Telling her she matters regardless."

"And w *urp*hat? Lie to her?"

The Doctor shook his head, "No Rick. Tell her the truth. Even in that infinite number she's unique. She can accomplish anything. She even has the potential to be even better than you, just like Morty."

"Oh yeah because no other Summer or Morty like that exist out there," Rick groaned sarcastically, "Give it up Doc. Nothing matters, the Universe doesn't care, and you're wasting your time."

The Doctor snapped at Rick, "Then what do you call all this?" He slapped the flask out of Rick's hand again, "Why invent anything? Why go on these adventures? Why fight the Galactic Federation?" The Doctor tilted his head and stretched out his arms, continuing in a sarcastic tone, "Don't you know there are an infinite number of you that are dead now because of them? Or what about the Ricks that _rule_ over the Council? Or the Ricks that are better than you in every way?"

Rick went for a third flask only for the Doctor to grab his wrist, "Oh no Rick. You're not dulling yourself for this. Not now! Tell me Rick. Why did you come back here? I could've dropped you off at any time and place. You could be on a planet of hedonists, or I could've dropped you off on Eden, or Barcelona. Why come back to your daughter, who you _"forgot"_ to inform me about!"

Rick refused to look the Doctor in the eyes.

"Come on Rick!" The Doctor spat, "You're suppose to be smarter than anyone else in the Universe! Explain why you bother doing anything if the infinite number of timelines and Universes somehow invalidate anything you can do? Following your logic, you're just doing what some other Rick didn't want to do. What some Rick was too smart to do. What some Rick was too stupid to do. So why do anything?"

Rick shoved the alien away from him and pulled out a laser. "Back off Doc!"

"Oh yes, because I've never had a gun to my face. Just like you Rick, suppose to be the smartest man in the Universe but you're too much of a pudding brain and a drunk to realize that that gun doesn't have enough Chakan oil to fire." The Doctor said, tearing the pistol from Rick's hand, waving it sarcastically, "I want answers Rick. You're supposedly smarter than any other being in the Universe, if not the Multiverse and yet you can't answer the question of why do you do this?"

Rick was silent for a moment grabbing yet another flask before answering, "Cause there's an infinite number of me fighting the Federation." He took a swig of his drink, "Because these bastards are control freaks and subjugate the whole Universe if given the chance."

The Doctor replied again, "But according to you, it doesn't matter if you do. You're just a copy of another Rick who did, who is doing this." The Doctor took the flask again, "So I ask again, following your logic, why do anything?"

Rick felt his rage boiling over, lashing out, "W-why do _you_ do anything Doc?! Remember? E-every time you saved the Universe from the Daleks or Cybermen or Peacekeeper or or whatever there's an infinite number of you that couldn't, and even more who never left Gallifrey to begin with! So tell me Doc, what about you!"

The Doctor wiped from spit from his face after Rick's rant answering, "Cause there's an infinite number of me who are like me. Never cruel or cowardly. Never give up. Never give in. That's the promise I...the promise we make when we took the name of the Doctor. And before you ask Rick I've been to those Universes and guess what...I saved them too. And so have other Doctors. As long as there's a Doctor in the Universe we will turn to fight the satanic powers of the night!"

The Doctor stepped forward and glared at Rick, roughly grabbing his arms snapping, "And don't you dare try to talk down to me again. Let's not forget you're attacking me because I'm finally calling you out for taking out 16 quintillion worlds and for what?! To test some super-weapon you intend to sell to the highest bidder?! But now I've had it with you Rick. If I can't talk some sense into you...allow me to show you."

Rick's head was sliced with a sharp pain as the Doctor smashed his forehead into Rick's, passing on all the Doctor had to show. Rick watched as the quintillion of world were stripped of all life, every man, woman, and child, leaving behind nothing but irradiated material to be harvested for cheap fuel. All the irreplaceable lives lost forever into the Great Unknown. Tears escaped his eyes.

The Doctor continued bitterly, "This is why you numb yourself Rick. To avoid being like me. I still hear screams Rick. Every time I close my eyes. Yes, I've done worse things than you. But I'm more than willing to atone for them. But you just try to drown it out with all the drugs and alcohol, to try to forget, to deny yourself that pain. Pain that could make you better man, pain that could make you a wise man, pain that could lead to you helping the Universe."

Rick looked up at the Doctor, still crying, "Fuck you Doc!" The Doctor frowned, and walked to the TARDIS, and grabbed the handle of the door. He turned around to Rick.

"I really wish it didn't have to come to this Rick. We've been through a lot together, all across the Universe. I can only wish, pray that you'll come around again. Good bye Rick." The Doctor stepped into his big blue box, and it groaned out of existence.

Rick slouched against the table, still crying, fishing his flask from out of the trash, and drank the whole thing in three big gulps, hoping to dull his pain at least a fraction, enough to save face in front of the family. "Fuck you Doc," he whimpered, "I came back because Beth and Morty were the best things to happen to me."

(A/N: As I said at the start, despite what the story might make it seem, I love Rick and Morty. It's such a funny, awesome show. It's as if Lovecraft wrote comedy instead of horror. But as much as I love Rick and Morty (and Lovecraft), I don't necessarily agree with the nihilistic views of the shows (though it doesn't affect my enjoyment of the show) but I agree more with the Whoniverse's view of the Universe. Again, love both these shows to death and are awesome. I hope you enjoyed the story. Take care. Lyoko498)


End file.
